How to Make Polish Gingerbread Cookies (Pierniczki)
Combine the dry ingredients., Beat the eggs and sugar., Stir in the honey., Incorporate the dry mixture., Form the dough into disks., Preheat the oven and prepare your pans., Roll a disk out to half a centimeter (4 mm) thickness., Cut shapes out of...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients.
Place all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
Use a whisk to completely combine the flours with the baking soda and spices.
Set the dry mixture aside while you make the rest of the dough.
You'll need to combine:2 cups (300 g) of all-purpose (plain) flour, plus extra for rolling 1¼ cups (180 g) of rye flour 1 teaspoon of baking soda 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons of ground ginger ¾ teaspoon of ground cloves -
Step 2: Beat the eggs and sugar.
Crack 2 eggs into a large mixing bowl and add 1 cup (220 g) of sugar.
Place a whisk attachment on a stand or hand mixer.
Whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes.
The mixture should become thick and pale.Since the pierniczki cookies don't have butter or oil, the cookies get their texture from the beaten egg mixture.
This is why it's important to whisk the eggs and sugar for the full 5 minutes. , Gradually whisk ½ cup (175 g) of honey into the sugar and egg mixture.
Continue to whisk the mixture until the honey is completely combined.
If you lift up the whisk, the mixture should fall like a ribbon back into the mixing bowl.
This means that the ingredients are well mixed.Use a high-quality honey since it gives a lot of flavor to the pierniczki cookies. , Turn off the mixer and add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients.
Use a wooden spoon to combine the mixtures into a thick gingerbread cookie dough.Avoid using an electric mixer since the dry ingredients could fly out of the dough or the dough could be over mixed. , Sprinkle your counter or work space with a little flour.
Once the cookie dough comes together in the bowl, dump the dough onto your counter.
Use your hands to press the dough into a large smooth ball.
Divide the ball into three parts and shape each part into a disk.Wrap two of the disks and keep one on your counter for rolling out. , Turn the oven on to 395 degrees F (200 C).
Get out two or three baking sheets and lay a sheet of parchment paper on each baking sheet.
Set them aside while you roll out the cookies.You can also use silicone baking mats instead of parchment paper. , Sprinkle flour on your counter or work space and use a rolling pin to roll out one disk of the cookie dough.
The dough should be half a centimeter (4 mm) thick.
You may want to turn the dough frequently to keep it from sticking to the counter.Avoid sprinkling a lot of flour on the counter or it may coat the cookie dough and give the cookies a pale appearance.
Only sprinkle a little flour when the dough starts to stick. , Use cookie cutters in any shape to cut shapes out of the rolled dough.
Try to use cookie cutters that are about 3 inches (8 cm) in size.
Cut out as many shapes as you can.
Re-roll and cut out the remaining dough and other disks of dough.Traditionally, Polish gingerbread cookies are cut in heart shapes.
If you'd like to make the pierniczki cookies for decorations, just poke a straw into each shape to form a small hole.
This will allow you to hang the cookies as decorations. , Put the cookie shapes on the prepared baking sheets.
Ensure they're at least one inch (2.5 cm) apart so they don't spread into each other as they bake.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes.
The cookies will be dark golden brown once they're baked and they should smell fragrant.You may need to bake the pierniczki cookies in several batches so they bake evenly. , Remove the baked cookies and cool them on the baking sheets until they're completely cool.
You'll probably need to let them set for 20 minutes.
Make a quick icing by combining icing ingredients and drizzling the icing over the cooled cookies.
For the icing, stir together:1 cup (200 g) of powdered sugar 1 tablespoon of water 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract -
Step 3: Stir in the honey.
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Step 4: Incorporate the dry mixture.
-
Step 5: Form the dough into disks.
-
Step 6: Preheat the oven and prepare your pans.
-
Step 7: Roll a disk out to half a centimeter (4 mm) thickness.
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Step 8: Cut shapes out of the dough.
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Step 9: Transfer the cookies to the sheets and bake them.
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Step 10: Cool and ice the cookies.
Detailed Guide
Place all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
Use a whisk to completely combine the flours with the baking soda and spices.
Set the dry mixture aside while you make the rest of the dough.
You'll need to combine:2 cups (300 g) of all-purpose (plain) flour, plus extra for rolling 1¼ cups (180 g) of rye flour 1 teaspoon of baking soda 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons of ground ginger ¾ teaspoon of ground cloves
Crack 2 eggs into a large mixing bowl and add 1 cup (220 g) of sugar.
Place a whisk attachment on a stand or hand mixer.
Whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes.
The mixture should become thick and pale.Since the pierniczki cookies don't have butter or oil, the cookies get their texture from the beaten egg mixture.
This is why it's important to whisk the eggs and sugar for the full 5 minutes. , Gradually whisk ½ cup (175 g) of honey into the sugar and egg mixture.
Continue to whisk the mixture until the honey is completely combined.
If you lift up the whisk, the mixture should fall like a ribbon back into the mixing bowl.
This means that the ingredients are well mixed.Use a high-quality honey since it gives a lot of flavor to the pierniczki cookies. , Turn off the mixer and add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients.
Use a wooden spoon to combine the mixtures into a thick gingerbread cookie dough.Avoid using an electric mixer since the dry ingredients could fly out of the dough or the dough could be over mixed. , Sprinkle your counter or work space with a little flour.
Once the cookie dough comes together in the bowl, dump the dough onto your counter.
Use your hands to press the dough into a large smooth ball.
Divide the ball into three parts and shape each part into a disk.Wrap two of the disks and keep one on your counter for rolling out. , Turn the oven on to 395 degrees F (200 C).
Get out two or three baking sheets and lay a sheet of parchment paper on each baking sheet.
Set them aside while you roll out the cookies.You can also use silicone baking mats instead of parchment paper. , Sprinkle flour on your counter or work space and use a rolling pin to roll out one disk of the cookie dough.
The dough should be half a centimeter (4 mm) thick.
You may want to turn the dough frequently to keep it from sticking to the counter.Avoid sprinkling a lot of flour on the counter or it may coat the cookie dough and give the cookies a pale appearance.
Only sprinkle a little flour when the dough starts to stick. , Use cookie cutters in any shape to cut shapes out of the rolled dough.
Try to use cookie cutters that are about 3 inches (8 cm) in size.
Cut out as many shapes as you can.
Re-roll and cut out the remaining dough and other disks of dough.Traditionally, Polish gingerbread cookies are cut in heart shapes.
If you'd like to make the pierniczki cookies for decorations, just poke a straw into each shape to form a small hole.
This will allow you to hang the cookies as decorations. , Put the cookie shapes on the prepared baking sheets.
Ensure they're at least one inch (2.5 cm) apart so they don't spread into each other as they bake.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes.
The cookies will be dark golden brown once they're baked and they should smell fragrant.You may need to bake the pierniczki cookies in several batches so they bake evenly. , Remove the baked cookies and cool them on the baking sheets until they're completely cool.
You'll probably need to let them set for 20 minutes.
Make a quick icing by combining icing ingredients and drizzling the icing over the cooled cookies.
For the icing, stir together:1 cup (200 g) of powdered sugar 1 tablespoon of water 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract
About the Author
Olivia Shaw
Enthusiastic about teaching cooking techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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